Celebrate The Fourth Of July In Style

       The countdown has begun, we have an 8 measly days to prepare for the fourth of July.  How do you plan to celebrate the freedoms that you have, that were purchased by the men and women of our country’s military?   All branches of the armed forces deserve to be honored.   How about along with those picnics and parades, you carve out a litle time to make and send a card to thank them for their sacrifice?

       Did you know that there are many service people who don’t get words of encouragement or support from anyone?   Oh, alot of our military men and women have their own friends and family who are strong in their support…but some really and truly don’t.  Some are lonely or sad; some are on their own, away from home for the first time.  When my husband was in the Marine Corps years ago; he was blessed to have a mother who wrote to him daily, all four years of his service.  My husband had a roomate who never received any cards or letters.  Out of compassion, my mother-in-law sent him a letter; it moved that roomate to tears.  He said to my husband…you do not know how much this means to mean to get this.  It was a moment of support that that young man desperately needed.   Here is a program that i heard about and loved the idea of from the very moment I heard about it.  It is a non-profit organization called, Make 2 Tell 2.

       The whole idea behind make2tell2 is to make two cards of encouragement, good wishes or support; and then, telling two others about the program and getting them to do the same.  The organization will collect the cards and then send them on to our military personel in Afghanistan and Iraq.  There isn’t much time left, we only have 8 days including today!  Can you help?  These are our sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, fathers and mothers…they are sacrificing time away from their own support systems to serve our country.

        How about sitting down the children who are out of school; let them unleash their creativity.    By this point, the newness of being out of school for the summer has set in and they are complaining of having nothing to do.  This is a great craft project for them.  Once they get started they won’t want to stop.  Or, do you know someone who is a scrap booker and loves to use their skills to make their own cards and such?  This is a perfect project for them.  Use your imagination as far as who would be willing to help…this really is a wonderful way to celebrate the fourth of July and celebrate all that we are blessed with here in America.

          For those service people who are overseas…this will help them to feel appreciated and a little less alone.   Here is the contact information for the program.  Feel free to include your contact information, on those cards and letters if you feel led.  Or if you are uncomfortable with that…make them, and just sign your name; either way, this is a great way of serving your country.   It is such a small sacrifice of your time but it can have an amazing impact on someone.   Make 2 Tell 2
991 Road 325
Harvard, NE  68944
        I am doing this myself, with my children today…and I am asking you to do the same.  Make a little time to give back to the greatest country in the world.  Celebrate the veterans of yesterday, today and tomorrow…who knows…they just might be one of your very own loved ones!

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Life Flying By

        I remember as a teenager being told by my “elders” that the older  I would get, the faster it would seem like “Life was Flying By”.  Well, i hate to admit it but they were right.

        It seems like things are just moving so fast and there is so little time that it is a little bit creepy.  Things that are big news items one day, are not even remembered the next day because there are so many other items that are bigger, better, splashier and more exploitable each and every, new day.

         The other day i wrote here about the spy satellite with the poisionous gas that is about to enter the earth’s atmophere.  The US military plans to shoot it down this week.  They were waiting for the space shuttle to land before attempting to eliminate the threat that the satellite poses to the earth’s population. 

          The shuttle is scheduled to land tomorrow.  This is good, they will not be in firing range.  What i can’t believe is that no one is hyping the threats posed from the satellite.  No, no…the news is covered in things like Lindsey Lohan’s re-creation of a photo shoot that Marilyn Monroe shot way back in the 60’s.  Who could get through the day without having that little morsel pasted into their memory banks?

          Scandal is the name of the game.  Lord knows, if the people of earth could be in danger from the satellite….well…they must be up-to-date on the latest and greatest scandal in the news such as which particular baseball hero of the day used steriods or not, or whether Britney Spear’s dad is out on the partying circuit with Britney’s hangers on crowd, or perhaps, if a famous boxer really does dress up in fish net stockings in his private time!  These are important issues of today are they not?

          I mean who needs to know if there is some unknown government official who could be passing inspections of meat that goes into our school children’s school lunch programs, or the whole reason Fidel Castro is giving up his historical rein of power in Cuba, or how to put an end to all of these public, mass shootings, or why the economy in the US is on the verge of collapse between the mortgage nightmares…the high cost of gas and oil…the bondage of individuals and families who are ensared in a credit card debt web that they will never get out of without filing for bankruptsy…or, how to stop the exporting of jobs to other countries who can afford to pay their workers much less than US employees? 

           We each are “gifted” with such a short time here on earth that we really have to make the most of each and every day.  There is a constant demand for our attention with radio, television, newspapers and cell phones and computers…there isn’t a moment to just stop and realize how much time is wasted on things that really have no major importance.

           For each scandal that comes and goes…yes, the consequences are important.  To the people that it directly involves. 

          We have become a nation of observers of other people’s pain and misery.  When did it become a spectator sport?  If we invest time and energy to watch it…are we not morally challenged to do something about those very situations?  At the very least to pray or send good thoughts and wishes in those directions?

          Every moment of everyday…there are tragedies happening around us both in big and small ways.  There are wars, there are diseases, there are accidents, there are injustices, there are crimes of violence passed among our communities, deaths, and the list goes on.  Let us challenge ourselves not to get caught up in things that we can do nothing about. 

         If we were to focus our time and attention on reaching out to those around us and make a choice to improve our little corners of the world and make it a better place for those we meet everyday maybe “life wouldn’t fly by” so fast. 

          Helping those struggling around us often doesn’t take boat loads of money…sometimes it just takes a listening ear, or a sacrifice of a little of our time, or energy. 

           If we can wrap our minds around the concept of “spending time”/ in other words, using up what time we have alloted to us in our lives; maybe there would be a whole lot less people willing to “waste time” doing things that are un-important; or worse, damaging to ourselves and to the others around us. 

           We each have valuable talents and skills.  It is easy to get caught up in feeling depressed,sad, lost, lonely, or angry.  All of those emotions are negative and they snowball into negative actions.  Refocus and dig deep to find one positive thing to put your energy into. 

            Today it is easier than ever to get involved in positive things.  We can connect to others easily.  Find a group or organization to use what talents or skills you have.   Find a need and fill it, look for opportunities.   Be a role model to those around you.  Get involved in positive things and you will be amazed at how much happier you are.

          

          

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